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HUMMUS BI TAHINI

Makes 3 cups

1 cup chick peas
3 cups water
1/3 cup tahini
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt, to taste
For serving:
chopped parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
paprika or cayenne pepper

Wash chick peas well , cover with the water and soak for I2 hours or overnight.

Put on to boil in the water in which they were soaked. Boil gently for 2 hours, add 1 teaspoon salt and cook until very tender - about 3 hours in all. Drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid and 1 tablespoon of the peas.

Press peas through a sieve or food mill, adding about 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid to separate the last of the peas from the skins.

Slowly blend the tahini and most ofthe lemon juice into the puree.

Crush garlic with ld teaspoon salt in a mortar and add to puree. Adjust flavour and consistency with lemon juice or cooking liquid and add salt if necessary. Hummus should be thick and smooth.

Spread in a shallow serving dish, swirling it with back of a spoon. Pour olive oil in centre and garnish with reserved chickpeas, chopped parsley and a sprinkling of paprika or cayenne pepper

Blender or food processor method: Puree peas to separate skins, add to container or processor bowl with remaining ingredients, holding back some lemon juice and salt to adjust flavour. Blend or process until thick and smooth. Note: Even if using a modern appliance the chick peas must be separated from their skins for a successful hummus.

Preparation time can be shortened by removing the skins either after the initial soaking, or after boiling.

Israeli-Style Hummus

Intentionally overcooking the chickpeas then whipping the mixture is key. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/israeli-style-hummus
Recipe by Michael Solomonov (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Makes about 4 cups

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 teaspoons baking soda, divided
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
⅓ cup (or more) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
⅔ cup tahini
¼ teaspoon (or more) ground cumin
Olive oil (for serving)

Place chickpeas and 1 tsp. baking soda in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by 2". Cover and let sit at room temperature until chickpeas have doubled in size, 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse. 


Combine soaked chickpeas and remaining 1 tsp. baking soda in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover by at least 2". Bring to a boil, skimming surface as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until chickpeas are tender and really falling apart, 45–60 minutes. Drain; set aside. 


Meanwhile, process garlic, lemon juice, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor until coarsely puréed; let sit 10 minutes to allow garlic to mellow. 


Strain garlic mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids to release as much liquid as possible. Return liquid to food processor; discard solids. Add tahini and pulse to combine. With motor running, add ¼ cup ice water by the tablespoonful and process (it may seize up at first) until mixture is very smooth, pale, and thick. Add chickpeas and cumin and process, occasionally scraping down sides, until mixture is extremely smooth, about 4 minutes. Thin with more water if you prefer a looser consistency; taste and season with salt, more lemon juice, and more cumin as desired. 


Spoon hummus into a shallow bowl, making a well in the center, and drizzle liberally with oil. Top as desired.

Toppings Suggestions

Hot smoked Spanish paprika, fresh lemon juice, and chopped parsley

Fried chickpeas, hot smoked Spanish paprika, and chopped parsley

Breakfast radishes, fresh lemon juice, and chopped fennel fronds

Beet-Pickled-Egg, Israeli mango pickle, fried garlic, and sliced garlic scapes

Tahini, Lemony Chermoula, cooked chickpeas, and chopped parsley

Tips

• Canned chickpeas are not only acceptable, they might actually be better a better option than dried. Unless you’re buying dried chickpeas from a reputable seller with a high turnover, get the best canned stuff you can afford (preferably organic).

• Truly authentic Israeli-style hummus relies heavily on tahini, not olive oil, to build that rich backbone of flavor and texture. So seek out the best-quality tahini you can find.

• Fight the urge to dump tons of lemon juice and garlic in some puréed chickpeas and call it a day. Properly made hummus shouldn’t leave you with garlic breath or stomachache-levels of acid—you’re trying to strike a balance.

• Ice water is your secret weapon. Blending some with tahini in a food processor before adding cooked chickpeas gives the sesame paste an aerated, ultralight whipped consistency.

BABA GHANNOU - EGGPLANT AND SESAME PUREE

SERVES 4-6

1 medium-sized eggplant, about 375 g (12 oz)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Grill eggplant over a charcoal fire for 30-40 minutes, turning frequently. Alternatively place on centre shelf in a hot oven and cook until soft, again turning often.

Peel off skin while hot and remove stern and end of eggplant if firm.

Chop flesh and pound in a mortar with pestle to a puree, or place in a blender or food processor and puree.

Blend in most of the lemon juice and gradually acid the tahini.

Crush garlic to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt and add to eggplant. Beat well and adjust flavour with more lemon juice and salt.

Bear in ol ive oil and parsley. If using an appliance put about 4 parsley sprigs into container and process until parsley is chopped but still visible.

Place in a shallow dish, garnish with parsley and Serve with Khouhiz as an appetizer.

Note: If making ahead, store in sealed container in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Grilled Hummus

Idea from http://www.patiodaddiobbq.com/2012/01/spicy-grilled-humus.html

Wrap the edges of a fine mesh rack with foil to ensure the chickpeas don't roll off while grilling.

Combine in a medium mixing bowl and stir to coat:
15.5 oz can chickpeas with
4 large unpeeled cloves of garlic and
2 teaspoons of olive oil

Arrange the chickpeas, garlic, and 1 large lemon cut in half on the rack.

Place the rack directly over the coals and cook until the chickpeas are golden and lightly charred, about 15 minutes, rolling them around gently with a spatula every five minutes.

Put the chickpeas in a mixing bowl, squeeze the juice of the lemons into the bowl, and squeeze the garlic cloves out of their paper into the bowl. Add the boiling water and salt and let soak 30 minutes to rehydrate the beans.

Complete hummus using your favourite recipe.

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